Question About Storing My Gun

Hello,

I just got a Beretta Neos and it came with the factory hard foam case. I am wanting to get something a little bigger to store my gun, because I added accessories. Will this case be good for long storage?

Ideally I would like to figure a way to use the aluminum foam case in the first link, because I can also use this to carry my gun to the range. That's why I was thinking a sock, or bag, and a combination of desiccant packs or something.

Got a better way? This could be your chance to help us budget gun guys keep our guns safe without breaking the bank, and we will be grateful for any help.

It all depends upon the use to which you intend to put the pistol in question.
Of course, in the case of the Neos, it isn't exactly a self-defense weapon. You won't be carrying it around with you during a normal day.
Therefore, when you're not using or cleaning it, it should be stored in a manner safe from prying, inquisitive hands.
To me, that calls for a safe.

Now, there are lots of different kinds of safes.
The important issues to me are:
• Fireproof for a useful amount of time (maybe one hour), and
• Proof against "casual" violation and secure against removal in its entirety.

To that, I must add the news that this will probably not be your only pistol purchase.
Further, I bet that you own other valuable stuff that would be better stored in a decent fireproof safe.

So I suggest that you will want to get yourself a safe that has about 1.5 cubic feet of interior room, and that will resist fire for about an hour. On top of that, it should come drilled (bottom, back, or both) for lag bolts, with which you will secure it (from the inside) to either a floor beam or a wall joist.

(We began with a one-cubic-foot safe, and instantly regretted it. Thus, we ended up buying two safes, and selling one at a steep discount.)

It all depends upon the use to which you intend to put the pistol in question.
Of course, in the case of the Neos, it isn't exactly a self-defense weapon. You won't be carrying it around with you during a normal day.
Therefore, when you're not using or cleaning it, it should be stored in a manner safe from prying, inquisitive hands.
To me, that calls for a safe.

Now, there are lots of different kinds of safes.
The important issues to me are:
• Fireproof for a useful amount of time (maybe one hour), and
• Proof against "casual" violation and secure against removal in its entirety.

To that, I must add the news that this will probably not be your only pistol purchase.
Further, I bet that you own other valuable stuff that would be better stored in a decent fireproof safe.

So I suggest that you will want to get yourself a safe that has about 1.5 cubic feet of interior room, and that will resist fire for about an hour. On top of that, it should come drilled (bottom, back, or both) for lag bolts, with which you will secure it (from the inside) to either a floor beam or a wall joist.

(We began with a one-cubic-foot safe, and instantly regretted it. Thus, we ended up buying two safes, and selling one at a steep discount.)

Very good points! Thanks for your time. I am looking at a safe as well. It's supposed to withstand heat up to 1550(F) which is not bad. Your also right about getting additional weapons. I was actually looking at the M&P15-22 A1 comp today. Valuable info you shared, thanks again. My dad has always just used the foam cases for his weapons, and never had an issue. He has been in law enforcement for basically his whole life, and freaked when I showed him some of the horror pics that people posted using a foam case.

I am not sure if it was the foam causing rust from soaking moisture etc.. or the combination of chemicals. Could be both. I know that M&P says that you can absolutely use the foam factory case that they provide for long storage. Something about all the research they compiled finding the best foam etc... yada yada yada. They even went on to say that if the gun rusted using there factory case they would cover it under warranty which knocked me back a little. I wish Beretta had this kind of guarantee. (Going to look more into that)

I don't mind getting a safe and aluminum case for the range. I just wish that a company made a hard foam case that can resist moisture, or use a silicone bag in the case, so I can grab it and go to the range without having to worry about rust.

If anyone has had good experiences with a foam case using a sock, bag, twinkle, ho-ho, or whatever in combination, let me know. Love to learn, and thanks for taking the time to post.

Both leather (holster) and foam, will retain moisture and will eventually rust your firearm. I would never advocate storing a firearm in either one. Store the gun in a low humidity, cool container. If you must use the factory container, I'd wrap the gun in VCI paper first. As for the manufacturer saying they will warranty the gun against rust if stored in the factory container, I'd get it in writing before doing it. Use a product such as Eezoxx (sp) that will leave a protective dry film on the gun, and wipe the gun down with Rig, or a silicone cloth frequently... (weekly)

I store mine in an electronic safe, in pistol rugs.......I take them out, every couple of weeks, and wipe them down......I take them to the range in rugs, in a canvas carry bag...this is all reasonably cheap

I store most - but, of course, not all - of my firearms in a BOLTED DOWN gun safe. It's, 'fire-retardant', and has an oversized electric, 'Dri-Rod' installed across the bottom. After talking to several safe manufacturers and learning that the number one reason for factory service calls is ELECTRONIC LOCKS, I decided to go with a mechaanical spin dial lock.

Since nobody here knows where I live, I'll confess that I often leave this lock just short of the very last digit; this allows me to get into my gun safe with only one spin of the dial! (No bad guy in his right mind would want me to get into my gun safe while he's still in the house!)

When I go to the range I have several plastic Flambeau boxes that I use for individual guns; and I, also carry one or two (depending) large range bags (Waller & Son) for all the tools, ammo, and optics. Around the house I keep several, 'Glock boxes' secreted in places where most people would never look. (No, NOT the toilet tank!) Over the years I've found it to be a better idea to secret a few loaded weapons here and there around the house rather than to attempt to store any of my, 'go to' guns in high security lock boxes. (Which, depending upon circumstances, might be a giant waste of money!)

(That's right; it's been many years since we've had young children living at home with us; but, then again, you've got to be careful around older people to. Why? Because older people can often act like children; and you don't want to leave any gun - loaded, or otherwise - lying out around the house for an elderly person to stumble upon.)

The reasons I believe the high security lock box idea isn't a good one are (1) a locked box can really slow you down and do just as good a job of keeping you away from your gun as it can of keeping a thief away, too. (2) Lock boxes are difficult to bolt down; and an unbolted box is both immediately attractive as well as easily moveable by all the wrong people. Me personally? I use a heavy bolted down gun safe, and prefer to keep several secreted Glock boxes hidden around our home.

A security lock box like any of those you're presently looking at wouldn't fit into the home security scheme we use around here; but, MAYBE, if we had young children or my elderly mother still living with us I might change my mind. My opinion about what you're trying to do is to go ahead and buy a high security lock box, keep your pistol in it, and then find a really good place to HIDE IT inside your home.

Whether or not you remove your (hopefully C-3) pistol from its box at night and, then, secret it underneath your pillow while you sleep is entirely up to you. Since our one and only sudden home invasion back in 1990 it's been my habit to never be out of reach of, at least, one, 'go to' gun while I'm at home; and I've tried to instill a similar sense of caution in my wife. (Who, because she was trained by a decorated WWII Finnish sniper when she was just a little girl, really does handle firearms well.)

Nobody is ever going to catch me flat-footed and empty-handed in the same way that home-invading bastard did, again.

Lots of good advice. Closed cell foam and most gun cases are gun rusters. Stay away from anything that doesn't breathe.

I coat all my firearms I don't shoot with Renaissance Wax. It's what the Royal British and Smithsonian museums use to protect all sorts of pieces in their collections, and it simply doesn't come more highly recommended. Some people use floor wax, and I'm sure it works, but the Ren Wax is the best. It's pricy, but a small can will last years and years even if you have a huge collection. You can buy it lots of places online. It was hard to get years ago, but is now common.

Lots of good advice. Closed cell foam and most gun cases are gun rusters. Stay away from anything that doesn't breathe.

I coat all my firearms I don't shoot with Renaissance Wax. It's what the Royal British and Smithsonian museums use to protect all sorts of pieces in their collections, and it simply doesn't come more highly recommended. Some people use floor wax, and I'm sure it works, but the Ren Wax is the best. It's pricy, but a small can will last years and years even if you have a huge collection. You can buy it lots of places online. It was hard to get years ago, but is now common.

No, that's a good question, and I'd never thought of it. I just wax just the exterior. I use Brownells #2 rust preventative on the internals (nothing fancy) but there is absolutely no reason you couldn't coat every part with Ren Wax. It's just like a paste wax, with the exception that it contains zero reactive components and is crystalline based. Apply, let dry, and buff off.

I generally don't use it on firearms I shoot and clean all the time. Those have almost all been transitioned to froglube or seal lube, which I have turned from committed skeptic to believer, and it's cut my cleaning time in more than half, because once you apply it correctly on a completely clean gun carbon fouling literally just wipes off...honestly.

I still use Eds Red to clean bores, because it works and old habits die hard.

No, that's a good question, and I'd never thought of it. I just wax just the exterior. I use Brownells #2 rust preventative on the internals (nothing fancy) but there is absolutely no reason you couldn't coat every part with Ren Wax. It's just like a paste wax, with the exception that it contains zero reactive components and is crystalline based. Apply, let dry, and buff off.

I generally don't use it on firearms I shoot and clean all the time. Those have almost all been transitioned to froglube or seal lube, which I have turned from committed skeptic to believer, and it's cut my cleaning time in more than half, because once you apply it correctly on a completely clean gun carbon fouling literally just wipes off...honestly.

I still use Eds Red to clean bores, because it works and old habits die hard.